Just yesterday afternoon, I was able to finally finish the aforementioned series. My barber was actually the one who recommended this show. He asked me if I was a fan of action/thrillers. I told him I was. ‘Try the Night Agent’, he said. Upon checking, I realised that it was the numero uno serye on the platform. For most of the past fortnight, I struggled to find time for the series. It seemed that there were not enough hours in the days for me to fulfil my commitments.

Based on the novel

In case you missed it, Night is adapted from Matthew Quirk’s eponymous novel. FYI, I never read the book. Gabriel Basso stars as Peter Sutherland. He’s the FBI agent who works the graveyard shift at the White House basement. At the onset, he prevents a terrorist attack on a train. He even tries to subdue the perp but the latter manages to scurry off. He does get a bird’s eye view of a snake tat on the bugger’s torso. Interestingly, when he tries to tell his story, no one believes him. His brass viewed his dad, a former officer, negatively. He believes his father was framed. He then makes it his mission to find out the truth about his pops.

He gets the distress call that Rose Larkin makes. She watches in horror as her uncle and aunt are shot dead by nefarious assailants. She’s able to hide but the episode clearly leaves her shaken. She initially doesn’t let her guard down but Peter’s actions convinces her. Rose was initially the founder of a tech startup – until things went sideways.

Answers

Both Rose and Pete yearn for answers. Why were her de facto parents shot down? She quickly learns that her relatives were government spies. Their carefully constructed facade was just as quickly unveiled. Meanwhile, Pete’s memory of his late father always gnaws at him. Why was the latter so suddenly turned ‘from hero to zero’? Likewise, he quickly turns into the enemy. For most of the season, the pair of them are on the run from the authorities.

The duo will end up getting more than they bargained for. The terror attack and the slayings unravel their world. However, they make quite a formidable team. As they say, ‘Two heads are better than none.’

Burying the truth

They approach good Samaritans but these kindhearted souls are almost instantly terminated after providing them their answers. Someone wants to bury the truth. In the same universe is Maddie, the Vice President’s daughter. While living in the dorm and attending art classes, secret service agents constantly shadow her. Her code name is Badger.

I could see the resemblance between Maddie and another Maddie (Hunter). In some angles, Sarah Desjardins looks very much like Indiana Evans of Home and Away. Maddie Redfield commences a passionate relationship with her art teacher. The latter was shot dead by his fellow dissident. The scene reminded me of Neil Harris’s unfortunate demise in Gone Girl (2014). As my friend said then, ‘They didn’t treat him very well in that movie’. Redfield lets her guard down and this costs her.

What I like

I liked how Rose looked for answers in the lib. When she needed an epiphany, the repository was her first choice. It was protected, full of answers, and had many potential witnesses just in case. After some time, she was able to decipher this royal coat of arms. Don’t underestimate Peter’s brains. He was the perfect compliment for Rose’s tech skills.

Another interesting storyline was Uncle Jim. The latter is Pete’s godfather. They used to be really close, going fishing together. Indeed, Jim gifted Pete his boat. However, their relations strained after Jim wrote articles regarding Pete’s dad. He works for the Baltimore Times. After all these years, when Pete visits his godfather, the latter greeted him like he was his long lost son. He welcomes the couple into his home. There’s a big buildup into the conclusion. This comes to a head at Camp David. The POTUS would conduct a meeting there with her top advisors.

Confusing but well-cast

I have to admit that the series is kinda confusing. There’s a helluva lot of names to keep track of, from the politicians to the assassins to the security detail. The villain’s true identity seems to update after each ep. Of course, you tend to recall the spirited performances. The two leads had chemistry and they played their parts with aplomb. You almost forget that Luciane (Rose) is Kiwi. She does a pretty good Yankee accent. Hong Chau was in form as the President’s Chief of Staff. So was Christopher Shyer as VP Redfield.

A month has passed since the series debuted on Netflix. The show is still going strong, trending at number three among TV shows in Netflix Australia. The ten episodes hover around the forty minute mark each. Fittingly, the show has earned a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not long after Night’s release, the latter was renewed for a second season. This would land next year. With an engaging plot and a talented cast, the sky’s the limit for this production.

Rating: 4.35/5